Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Jason Voorhees
Probably the most iconic slasher figure of the survival horror genre.Here's his story.Jason Voorhees (Human)
This is Jason from Friday the 13th Part II, III, and IV. He is still a living being. He is a major threat to PC's but hasn't become the undead powerhouse he will be later in the series.

Panic (Victims must make Saving Throw when encountering Jason or all attacks against Jason are at a -2 to hit. Most will flee for their lives. This is in effect until the victims elude Jason or believe they have given him the slip. Check for each new encounter with Jason. If they make three Saves in a row they are immune to this ability until the Sequel, if they survive.)

Stealth (Jason has the nasty ability to get the drop on his victims. He surprises them on a 1-4 on a 1d6.)

Jason Voorhees (Undead)
Accidentally resurrected by Tommy Jarvis in Part VI: Jason Lives, Jason is now an undead mass murder machine. He is difficult to stop, has incredible strength, and has gained a few new abilities from his undead state.

Inhuman Strength (As an undead killing machine Jason is much stronger than he was as a living being. To reflect this he gains a +2 to all melee and unarmed damage rolls, as well as to attempts to open doors. The +2 is also used as a bonus to any Strength attribute checks. This is in addition to his +2 bonus for his 17 Str)

Maniacal Fury (2 melee attacks per round)

Maniacal Rage (all melee and unarmed damage is one dice higher)

Panic (Victims must make Saving Throw when encountering Jason or all attacks against Jason are at a -2 to hit. Most will flee for their lives. This is in effect until the victims elude Jason or believe they have given him the slip. Check for each new encounter with Jason. If they make three Saves in a row they are immune to this ability until the Sequel, if they survive.)

Rapid Healing (When using the Panic ability: if the victim fails their Saving Throw Jason will gain 3 Hit points per round as he stalks them. This ends when he kills them or they elude him. This, and an apparent sadistic streak, is why he often leaves victims and body parts for others to find: to panic and heighten the fear. If he is knocked to zero or lower Hp's and the victims are standing around checking the body out he still keeps healing and is likely to fake being 'dead' to suddenly spring to action and heighten their terror or attack them. He doesn't stop healing until the Panic ends; they must elude him.)

Stealth (Jason has the nasty ability to get the drop on his victims. He surprises them on a 1-4 on a 1d6.)

Teleport (Death has given Jason the ability to teleport to with 5 feet of a victim. He can use this ability up to 4 times per day. To use this he most be unobserved. If anyone is aware of his presence and can see him he cannot use this ability.)

Tough (+2 AC, -2 Saves)

Undead (Does not eat, drink, sleep or breathe. +2 to AC due to nonvital organs. Immune to Sleep and Charm spells.)

Vulnerabilities
Jason is tied to the waters of Camp Crystal Lake. If he is bound to the lake (chained to the bottom, trapped in a cage and sunk, etc) he will go dormant until reawakened at a later time.
He has been shown to be awakened by massive jolts of electricity, psychic summoning, etc.

Completely blowing his body apart has been shown to work, but he seems to always return for a Sequel.

What is this?
This is an emulation of 70's, 80's and 90's classic horror films. The Thing, Friday the Thirteenth, Dawn of the Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Nightstalker, Halloween etc etc. Survival horror films where most, if not all of the cast, is going to very likely die horrible deaths. These are almost always ordinary people trying to survive, not by spells or fantastic fantasy abilities, but surviving with cooperation and clever plans. It's a challenge and it can be a real blast to play.

To make it even more fun we needs a quick build PC for these games. Got split with an axe? NO problem. Take two minutes, make a character, and get back into that meat grinder! The PC's are easy enough to play two or three with minimal book-keeping. Split up the party. Enjoy.

Why use OSR based rules?
I like them. I've used D6, BRP, and other skills based systems for this type of game but I want to be able to run this in a game system familiar (ingrained?) with a large base of players. Yep, surprise on a 1-2 on a 1d6. Go it. Hit points and levels/Hit Dice. Yessir, know it. Str and Dex bonus to melee and to ranged attacks. Yup.
Basic and familiar. Christ most of us probably don't even need a base book for most of this.

Using the familiar systems I also want character creation to be fast. Damn fast. Easy but comprehensive stats for customizable characters. I want you to be able to build archetypes found within the horror movie genre, combat and non-combat, with little trouble.

There is also the options of add-on rules such as sanity, driving, or other extras I've come up with to expand the game if necessary. It all depends on the level of complication desired. But at the heart of it all is the idea of easy fast characters getting chased around and slaughtered by a maniac and his best friend power tool.

Here's how we make the characters a very quick build.

Roll attributes (Str, Dex, etc) normally or choose them any other way the DM wants.

The DM will decide what level you start at based on how competent he wants the characters and the tone of the game. (RJ MacReady from the Thing was higher level than the kids from the Friday the 13th films.)

Figure out what abilities/stills you want your PC to have and fit it in with the quick Ability/Skill system below.

You have 4 points to build at first level; every level after you receive 2 more.

Abilities are familiar: AC bonuses, Hit bonuses, Alertness ability, etc. You can buy them up at certain levels. Again pretty standard stuff. There's even a Hit Points ability to give you an extra 1d6 Hit points at even levels.

Skills are a bonus (bonuses) you add onto a basic Attribute check when attempting something the DM calls for. Limit of +5.

Give them a name and a basic personality trait, receive equipment from the DM, and go!

There is no experience. If you survive for a sequel the DM can (and probably should) level you up for a sequel.

SURVIVAL HORROR PC'S

HD: 1d6 per level.

There is no experience. The DM decides at what level the PC's start at. If they surive (good luck) and there is a sequel the DM may raise the PC's one level.

Using common sense is the first rule. If there is absolutely no chance of success don't bother to roll.

If there is a chance of success make an Attribute score check (Str, Dex, Con, etc). This is modified by points put into skills and a difficulty modifier. Each point put into the skill adds a +1 bonus to the Attribute score check. Skills can have a maximum of +5 bonus.

The DM may also use the skill bonuses for appropriate Saving Throws.

Modifier to Ability Roll

Stupid Easy:No Roll

Easy:+8

Average:+4

Difficult:Base Ability Score Roll

Very Difficult:-4

Stupid Difficult:-8

Good Luck: -15

Abilities:

All Abilities except Alertness can be taken more than once. Each time you an ability costs the base skill point(s) listed in parenthesis after the name of the ability. The levels at which they can taken again and the effect of spending more points on them are noted in the base descriptions below.

Extended activity such as long distance running, swimming, trying to stay awake, etc.

Intelligence

Computers

Programming, hacking, etc.

Fly

If it flies, use this.

Medic

Diagnosis and treatment. To bind wounds the Character must make an Intelligence check with this bonus included. Success stops hp loss after zero and, if used above zero hp, adds back 1d4 hp after any combat has ended.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

The villain of two excellent horror movie is an ancient creature with unclear origins; it could be an ancient demon, a mutated sorcerer, or perhaps a victim of a curse. A psychic once gained insight on the Creeper; it can only live for 23 days every 23 years in the Springtime. During this 23 day rampage it feeds, gorging itself on the flesh and bone and blood of man. Then it curls up into a withered husk for another 23 years.

It is built for killing: massive strength, incredibly fast wings, talon hands and feet, and needled teeth. It can easily rip a man apart.

The Creeper is a clever opponent, often much smarter than his prey. He is a brilliant hunter. He wears clothing, hats and long coats to help disguise his true nature. He can drive. He sets up lairs, listens to old music, makes traps and weapons, and decorates with artwork made from corpses and body parts. Although he does not speak he is not a dumb brute. There is method to his mayhem.

The Creeper possesses a wicked sense of humor. He will use corpses, body parts, and other means to scare his victims and amuse himself. He drove an old truck with a license plate that reads BEATNGU, which is first mis-interpreted as "beating you." The error is corrected later as the heroes realize it says "be eating you".

In the first movie the Creeper and his victims destinies revolve around various recordings of the tune "Jeepers Creepers."

It is unknown if the Creeper can truly be destroyed. Even in it's mummy-like hibernation state it may be difficult to destroy. Fire, acid, perhaps none of these will truly eradicate the Creeper. I would hazard a guess that if any part is left intact the Creeper will be able to regenerate itself somehow when the 23 year cycle begins again. Perhaps it is a spirit that inhabits a corpse, transforming it into the Creeper's form. Who can truly tell as so little information about the thing is known. Perhaps it can even be awakened early by spell or science. The opportunities for DM's are rich.

Darkvision
The Creeper can see in the blackest pits as if it were daylight.

Massive Strength
The Creeper is strong enough that melee and thrown weaponry does damage at one dice step higher. He can punch through wood, cinder block, and tear apart light steel bare-handed. He can easily subdue a human and fly away with them by grabbing them with his taloned feet. He has been shown to lift up the rear of and drag a large truck while attached to it via harpoon and cable. He can jump a distance of 30' easily.

Prey Scent
Not everyone is compatible with the Creeper for regeneration. There is a 1-2/1d6 chance that a person has usable body part for regeneration.

To find his proper prey the Creeper possesses a third nostril on the bridge of his nose which allows him to locate viable prey. This nostril can only detect proper donors when the person is in a state of fear. Most are afraid by his mere presence and the situation they are caught in. They are at -2 to all actions until the Creeper departs.

Those victims who try to be brave can be intimidated by a display from the Creeper.
Those who see the Creeper's display must Save (Paralyzation) at -4 or be afraid with the -2 penalty as above. A new Fear roll must be made each time the Creeper attempts to scare victims, although the second and subsequent attempts have no penalty to the Saving Throw.

Regeneration
Each time the Creeper is hit make sure to track how much damage each hit does individually as the Creeper regenerates by replacing damaged body parts with fresh ones gained from victims. If the players make a called shot (-4) to his wing he will be able to fly only at half speed. If both are damaged he can no longer fly until the wings are healed. If a leg is hit his land movement is halved. If both are hit he can only move by crawling or throwing himself along the ground 10' per round with his massive strength. DM's will need to use their judgement here. Roll with it.

To regenerate damage the victim's donor part is removed and swallowed whole; the damaged Creeper part is then usually ripped off, allowing the new part to move into position and regenerate all hit points lost on that wound as the new part takes on the features of the Creeper's lost body part. Lost movement will be partially or fully restored based on what was damaged and what was healed. This process takes 1d6 rounds + 1 round for each wound healed. He may have to do this a few times if there are not enough available body parts to swallow.

While regenerating the Creeper is vulnerable. His enemies gain a +4 bonus to attack him and he can only defend not attack. He often holes up to regenerate for his own safety, only healing out in the open as a last ditch effort to save himself.

When the Creeper is dropped to 0 to -9 hit points he is massively damaged and passes out for 1d6 minutes before reawakening and continuing his pursuit of prey. At this point he is so damaged he can no longer fly and can only move at a rate of 60' (30').

When dropped to -10 or lower he curls up into a mummified state. His 23 day rampage is done and he must await another 23 years to feed.

Spider Climb
The Creeper can scuttle up walls and hang from ceilings. He is shown standing on a speeding cop car, feet locked in place, keeping him from being swept off of the car.

Stealth
The Creeper is a master of stealth, especially at night. After dark his chance to surprise foes increases to a 1-4 on a 1d6. It will often do this to abduct potential body part donors or kill those in his way with a backstab (x2 dmg.)

Weapons
The Creeper utilizes weapons and can even make them from the corpses of his victims; bones, flesh, and melted down fillings: shuriken (1d3/1d4 for the Creeper), knife (1d4/1d6 for the Creeper), and short spear (1d6/1d8 for the Creeper).

He has also been seen to use a battle-axe (1d8/1d10 for the Creeper). It could have others at its disposal.

He has also possessed a magic dagger (+2) which was somehow bound to him and tries to return to the Creeper by some sort of magical magnetic attraction; flying through the air and embedding itself into objects between it and the Creeper. It was used as the tip of a home-made harpoon and fired at the Creeper with a homemade harpoon gun,

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

In the Spaghetti Westerns the hero or villain often has an unusual or signature weapon at his disposal. The Sartana and Sabata films were especially noted for this. Don't worry if it's a couple of decades ahead of 'current' western tech, just roll with it and have fun. Here's a few examples for bad guys or even players to spice things up.

Mauser C96
Cost: $50
Seen only at the end of the century, the Mauser semi-auto pistol holds a crazy amount of bullets for the time and includes a detachable wooden stock which can serve as a holster.

LeMat Revolver
Cost (.36): $35
Cost (.42 and .44): $40
The LeMat is a single-action 9 shot cap and ball revolver with the notable feature of having a secondary barrel beneath the primary barrel which fired a single 16 gauge buckshot shell. The LeMat saw service with the Confederate States in the Civil War. Production of the pistol ended after the war. It was produced early on in .36, .42, and .44 caliber, the later being very late in the war. Each version came with the under slung shotgun barrel.
.36, Dmg: 1d6/2d6, Range: 25’, Ammo: 9
.42, Dmg: 1d8/2d6+1, Range: 30’, Ammo: 9
.44, Dmg: 1d10/2d6+2, Range: 30’, Ammo: 9
16 ga Shot shell,
Traditional Dmg: 2d6/1d6/1d6/1d4/1d4, Range: 10’, Ammo: 1, +2 hit first range increment with buckshot
Spaghetti Dmg: 3d6/2d6/2d6/1d6/1d6, Range: 10’, Ammo: 1, +2 hit first range increment with buckshot

“Mare’s Leg” Carbine
Cost: $40
A Mare’s Leg is the nickname for a repeating carbine, usually chambered in .44-40, with its barrel cut down to nine to 12 inches and the butt-stock cut down to make the carbine more pistol-like and usable with one hand. The cocking lever is often an enlarged loop. The length of the Mare’s leg imposes a –1 to Fast Draw. However, Mare’s Leg is most often worn in a custom holster, composed of straps and a large metal clip for the guns body, which functions as a Fast Draw holster (+1 Fast Draw), to offset the penalty for weapon length.
Dmg: 1d10/2d6+2, Range: 30’, Ammo: 6

Sabata’s Derringer
Cost: $60The custom derringer has four barrels in a circular formation, chambered in a .45 caliber, and a very large handle. This is because three smaller barrels are hidden in the handle. The end flips down and the three barrels are exposed, set in a vertical line. These barrels fire a smaller navy round. This tactic is often used to gain surprise when opponents think the shooter has fired all four of his shots.
Four barrels, Dmg: 1d8/2d6+1, Range: 20’, Ammo: 4
Three hidden barrels, Dmg: 1d6/2d6-1, Range: 5’, Ammo: 3

4-barrel shotgun
Cost: $100
Two barrels stacked on top of two more barrels, this rare and expensive shotgun is a fearsome weapon, doubling the firepower of a shotgun. Two barrels can be fired then the other two can be rotated to be fired for the next round with no penalty.

Explosive Cigars
Cost: $2 per stick
A nasty little trick, these are essentially small sticks of dynamite hidden inside of a large cigar. The tip is lit and the short fuse is as well. Good for throwing or getting to an enemy to blow his own face off.
Dmg: 1d6, 5' Blast Zone (Save for ½ dmg), +1d6 dmg /1’ radius per cigar.
Damage is not open-ended.. Throwing Increment: 10’.

Sartana’s 5-shot Derringer
Cost: $40
The weapon most identified with the mysterious gunfighter Sartana is his four-barreled derringer. But it has a secret, it is actually a small 5-shot revolver with the cylinder hidden inside the gun. Three of the four barrels are fakes. Anyone who thinks the shooter has fired all four of his shots is in for a big surprise when the fifth shot is fired.
Dmg: 1d6/2d6-1, Range: 20’, Ammo: 5

Sartana’s Weighted Watch
Cost: $20
A dull gray and very large pocket watch on a long chain. It is actually made of lead and is useable as a flail and can wrap around objects with the chain, allowing the user to grapple the object or pull it towards the watch-wielder.
Dmg: 1d4, Range: 10’

Sartana’s Razor Throwing Cards
Cost: $20
Razor sharp, card sized and shaped bits of metal which can be thrown as a weapon. They are painted to look like playing cards and will only be seen for what they are by a close inspection. They come in packs of five.
Dmg: 1d3, Range: 10’

Sartana’s Pipe-organ of Death
Cost: $10,000. Total guess. The DM will probably set it higher, or at least make the PC's go on an epic adventure to find the device.

Ammo Cost: $500 for a full load of mini-cannon shells. $50 for a full load of machine gun rounds. It is unclear who made this fantastic machine, much ahead of its time in firepower. Sartana has shown an aptitude for building strange, complex, mechanical devices, so it is not inconceivable that with enough time and money, he could have designed this beautiful death machine.

One of the craziest and most entertaining weapons in the history of Spaghetti Westerns is the pipe-organ owned by Sartana in the film Light the fuse, Sartana is coming!

Beneath the outer wood panels are steel plates giving Sartana cover (-6) while he manipulates the buttons, keys, and pedals of the death machine.

The outermost tall pipes, far left and far right, swivel forward to reveal they are actually multiple shot mini-cannons. Each cannon holds five rounds, which are automatically fed into the firing mechanism after the previous shot. The cannons can each be fired twice per round. The cannons can also be dropped sideways, at a 90 degree angle, to blast those who would come up on the side of the organ player.
Two cannons3d6/5d6, 15’ Blast Zone, 2 shots each per round, Save for half damage.

The four center pipes drop down to reveal they are machinegun barrels, linked and firing on the same front firing arc. The guns are not precision weapons, and anything and anyone, friend or foe, in the firing arc must make a Save for half damage. Each gun holds enough ammo for 6 rounds of continuous fire.
Four machine-guns, cone-shaped area effect (5’ at beginning, 30’ wide, 100’ long), Dmg: 3d6/6d6, Save for half damage.